Neonatal Meningitis and Circumcision

This paper presents four cases of fulminating neonatal sepsis with meningitis. In each infant, there was evidence of an infected circumcision wound. Two infants had Escherichia coli and two had Group B haemolytic streptococcus cultured from the cerebrospinal fluid. One infant died. The risk of introducing infection through iatrogenic portals of entry is a definite problem in the neonate. Circumcision is an unnecessary routine procedure, which puts the infant at risk.